Hurricanes Milton and Helene Impact FEMA's Response

By Doina Chiacu
(Reuters) – Hurricanes Milton and Helene are putting new pressure on the federal government's emergency response agency, FEMA, which is already short of money, impacted by a politics-fueled disinformation campaign, and burdened by past failures in handling massive storms.

Hurricane Milton's Path

Hurricane Milton was expanding on Tuesday as it moved past Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula en route to Florida's densely populated Tampa Bay area, which is still reeling from the devastating effects of Hurricane Helene less than two weeks ago.

What is FEMA?

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the U.S. government agency tasked with assisting individuals before, during, and after disasters, including hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, and floods.
Its reputation suffered due to poor handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, leading to ongoing recovery challenges.

FEMA's workforce can expand from 20,000 to more than 50,000 active members during major disasters. Established in 1979, it became part of the Department of Homeland Security in 2004.

FEMA Staffing

Currently, FEMA is supporting 111 major disasters and 16 emergency declarations. According to its daily operations briefing, only 9% of its disaster-response workforce is available for Milton.
Administrator Deanne Criswell assured that FEMA is prepared and has staffing options, including reallocating people from its long-term recovery offices.

FEMA Funding

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated on Oct. 2 that FEMA lacks enough funding for the remainder of the hurricane season. A group of senators has requested additional funding, but Speaker Mike Johnson did not commit to convening the House to address this before the Nov. 5 election.
FEMA is currently aiding hurricane victims using a disaster-relief fund that received $20.3 billion from Congress for the fiscal year. However, the Biden administration has requested that these funds be spent at an accelerated rate due to the severe disasters.

Disinformation Campaign

FEMA is battling false rumors about its funding. Former President Trump and his allies have wrongly claimed that emergency funds were used for illegal immigrants. FEMA has set up a rumor response page addressing misconceptions, reaffirming that disaster funds are not being diverted for non-disaster-related needs.

FEMA Failures

FEMA has faced significant criticism for its responses to past hurricanes, including Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In both instances, the agency was accused of slow and ineffective assistance, severely damaging its reputation.